Smoking e-cigarettes or “vaping” has been marketed as an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes to help existing smokers “kick the habit”. However, their popularity is also rising among non-smoking adolescents – from 2017–2018 e-cigarette use increased by a staggering 78% in high school students – with the primary appeal cited as being the variety of available flavors. But how safe are the ingredients in e-cigarettes? Here we highlight some of the studies exploring e-cigarette safety, published during 2019.
Recent cases in the United States have raised concerns over the safety of e-cigarettes. Authorities continue their efforts to get to the bottom of this new health crisis, with vitamin E acetate having been identified as a chemical of concern. In the face of this, many consumers are understandably questioning how they can be reassured about the products they are using.
While e-cigarettes are well established in many countries, there are big differences between the way the US regulates vaping compared to other regions like the EU. [...]